Know How a Roof Can Be Damaged by Hail
Many of residents of Longmont, Lafayette, Fort Collins, Boulder and other Front Range cities experience hail storm damage to their homes. Below we will cover how exactly your roof can be affected after a storm in your area and how we can help.
There are many types of roofs, but asphalt shingles are the most popular type of roof for homes in the Boulder area and surrounding cities. When a large hailstorm comes to town and makes contact with your roof, it strikes the surface of a shingle, more times than not, so hard that granular (rock) on the shingle is embedded in the asphalt and gets knocked off the impact area. This is why the affected area is dark black as the hail strike has exposed fresh asphalt.
What We Look for With Roof Inspections
We offer free inspections and free advice regarding hail damage to your roof.
Dislodged Shingles
Hail damage to your roof can displace, loosen or shift shingles from their installed location. As a consequence, sealing strips built into the shingles can become “unglued” or “weakened.”
[cta]Material Removal and Penetration
The goal of a roof is to shed water off the roof. When hail fractures, punctures or removes the material from the edges of the roof shingles, water will penetrate through this fracture, creating potential leaks.
Severe Granule Loss
The granules on asphalt shingles protect them from UV light, provide some fire resistance, and add to the aid of shingle packaging. Granule loss will diminish the effectiveness of the shingles to perform as they should.
In addition to displacing granular, the hailstone may tear, bruise, or fracture the internal fiberglass mat of the shingle on which the asphalt is applied. The fracturing of this inner fiberglass layer can compromise the shingle’s ability to shed water properly. Also, the bruised area will undergo rapidly accelerated weathering.
Insurance companies and home inspectors all agree that this type of damage should be repaired to avoid additional problems with the roofing system. If this type of hail damage is widespread on a roof, then the roof should be replaced in its entirety.
In sum, neglecting hail damage will cause premature aging to the function of the roof.
Need to schedule a roof inspection? Get in touch here. Whether it is a roof replacement or roof repair that you need, we got you covered; giving you the information you need to make the right decision.